


Bernadetta's Hide and Seek Adventure

by queenbunnie



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Adventure, Garreg Mach Monastery (Fire Emblem), Gen, Hide and Seek, Hints of romance/relationships but its not the focus, No Smut, No war mention, Some Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:07:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23338873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenbunnie/pseuds/queenbunnie
Summary: It's time for the annual night long game of Hide and Seek! Students of Gerreg Mach must hide around the monastery and stay safe from the seekers until sunrise. One student in particular, however, isn't looking forward to this game. Bernadetta Von Varley only wishes to find a hiding spot where she can remain alone and undisturbed, and pray for the sun to rise quickly. Can Bernie survive the night?
Relationships: Bernadetta Von Varley & Hilda Valentine Goneril, Bernadetta von Varley & Hubert von Vestra, Bernadetta von Varley/Hubert von Vestra, Caspar von Bergliez & Bernadetta von Varley, Caspar von Bergliez/Bernadetta von Varley, Linhardt von Hevring & Bernadetta von Varley, Seteth & Bernadetta von Varley
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	1. Ready or not!

It was a chilly and dark evening, illuminated by a bright full moon. It’s a perfect night to stay indoors and quietly attend to needlework, Bernedetta thought to herself. But no, she HAD to allow herself to be pressured to participate in tonight's festivities. She thought back to yesterday…

“This is an opportunity to have fun and engage with your fellow classmates, Bernadetta.” Seteth started, “Shutting yourself indoors, excluding from those around you will do more harm than good in the long run.” “It’s just a game!”, Bernadetta retorted back through her closed dorm door, “No one will notice if I’m playing or not.” “How about this then,” Seteth proposed “if you participate in tomorrow nights annual Hide-and-Seek, I promise not to further lecture you about coming out of your room and socializing.” Is he serious, she thought? “Do...do you really mean that? Never again?” She asked, unsure. “I'm a man of my word.” Seteth responded. 

“Deal!” 

Boy, did she regret it now, standing in the bustling crowd of her fellow students, all anxiously waiting for the clock to sound the moment they must take off and hide. Was the deal with Seteth even worth it, she wondered? Maybe his constant knocking on her dormitory door wasn't so bad. At the very least he was on the other side, out of sight. Although, she thought, who knows how long it would have been before the intimidating man kicked down the door, letting himself in?! What an equally terrifying thought. Bernedetta broke out of her thoughts by a loud voice upon a podium. 

“Welcome to the annual Garreg Mach game of Hide and Seek” Catherine announced. “The rules are as followed: We have 6 seekers. Dimitri & Dedue, Claude & Hilda, Edelgard & Hubert all have until sunrise to find 20 hiders, once the clock strikes 12.” Of course, Bernadetta thought to herself. Only the most terrifying house leaders and their equally intimidating and sharp-eyed retainers would be the seekers. This is just like a horror novel! Is it too late to hide in her room? Oh, of course not, that's the first place they’d check for her. “Hiders have a 5 minute head start,” Catherine continued, “to hide anywhere indoors or outdoors as long as it is within the Monastery walls. Anyone who is tagged by a seeker, becomes a seeker.” Well, 5 minutes is definitely not enough time to run far away from the monastery bounds and never return. “Think, Bernie...what can you do?!” She and everyone looked at the clock. One minute to midnight. She looked to Seteth, supervising on his Wyvern. 

“You...you have to play!” She thought, anxiously, starting to shake. She looked to the seekers, they’re smiling and chatting amongst each other, planning, like hunters about to corner their prey. 30 seconds. Everyone around her gets in their starting positions, ready to sprint away. “Where do I go?! Think Bernie!!” she thought. She took a deep breath, and looked up. The 3rd floor, room only to the archbishop’s quarters. Most definitely off limits, even if not stated. But Lady Rhea was currently away. Could...could she go there? 10 seconds. Does she dare? “On your mark!” Catherine shouts. Bernie’s made up her mind. The 6 seekers turn away. “Get set!” She plans her route. The bell tower strikes midnight. “HIDE!” Catherine yells, starting the night long man-hunt. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She's already out of breath as she reaches the 3rd floor. She thankfully didn’t see anyone else on her way up the flight of stairs. She looked at the large wooden door that led to Lady Rhea’s personal quarters. Students were obviously not ever allowed up here. “This was a terrible idea!”, she thought to herself, shaking. Maybe it wasn't too late to find another spot...but where else is so secluded? So far away, so closed off, like a fortress in the sky...and surely no one would disturb her here. She smiled to herself, lost in thought. She looked over at the open balcony on her opposite side. Even the moonlight look prettier from up here. This room was starting to sound like paradise. Wait. She shook her head. “Wake up Bernie! You’re running out of time!”, she reminded herself. She took a deep breath, and slowly opened the door. 

Dark, with only the pale moonlight shining from the windows. After making sure to shut the door silently, she walked around the room. She wasn't sure what she expected. A large bed decorated with a simple canopy, with a fireplace on one side and large bookshelf on the other. There was a small table, no doubt for tea, with a comfy chair to match. She daringly sat down in it. This room was...kinda nice! “No wonder we hardly see Lady Rhea walk around school grounds...” Bernadetta whispered to herself, “she’s probably always here, enjoying the sweet, sweet solitude!”

Footsteps. From the stairs she ran up just a minute before. Her heart skipped a beat, and it took all her strength to not scream immediately. She jumped from the chair and quickly looked around at where to hide. Behind the bathroom door...in the chimney...under the bed. Perfect! She brought herself to the floor and quickly crawled underneath the large bed. “Time to be very, very, VERY quiet, Bernie”, she told herself quietly.  


She heard the footsteps approach. She shut her eyes, preparing for the worst, as she heard the doorknob turn... and the door slowly creak open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfic! Please forgive the occasional typo, and I'm open to constructive criticism! I love Bernadetta's character and I loved the idea of all the Gerreg mach students getting together for a bit of fun ^-^


	2. The Friendly Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This hide-and-seek game isn't as smooth sailing as Bernadetta would've hoped, even when stuck in just one hiding space!

The door slowly creaked open….  
  
Bernie watched from under the bed, as a pair of boots slowly pace around the room. Then the mysterious figure taunts, “Come out, come out, wherever you are~” Oh goddess, Bernadetta thought, it was Hilda.

Hilda, who from a distance did not seem terrifying at all. Her voice was even sweet, often flirtatious to those she spoke to. But it was the way she fought that terrified Bernadetta. Hilda would swing large axes, quick as lightning, with all her might and effortlessly strike down her foes. But not only that, she would do it with a smile! And then act like it was nothing! And now Hilda was a hunter, and Bernadetta her prey. “Surely someone like her would take great joy in hunting”, Bernadetta thought to herself, “she’d chase me down with that happy smile and evil glint in her eye and I’d- “

Floof!

Bernadetta’s thoughts were interrupted by the sudden sound of Hilda flopping onto the bed above her. Was…Hilda laying on the bed, Bernadetta thought, Rhea’s bed?? How could someone be so daring? Well, it’s not like she could speak, she was the first one to enter this room in the first place. Luckily, there was enough space between the floor and the frame that Bernadetta’s face wasn’t totally being crushed beneath the bed. Still, she thought, her head between the hard wood floor and the mattress wasn’t very comfortable. But all she could do now was stay still, silent, and to listen Hilda talk to herself.

“Ugh, why did I have to be a seeker?”, Hilda groaned, “I’d much rather be a hider and relax somewhere. And then when I’d get caught, I’d let someone else help by seeking for me. They’d be way better than me at it. But right now, there are hardly any seekers, and I have to follow Dimitri, Edelgard, and Claude’s strategy on finding the most people quickly. Goddess knows Hubert and Dedue wouldn’t let me silently support.”

Hilda laid atop the bed for what seemed like hours. She then got up, skimmed the bookcase, fluffed the pillows, and to Bernadetta’s shock, even looked through Lady Rhea’s wardrobe. After a few minutes, Bernadetta had calmed down a bit, listening to Hilda explore the room. Although she wouldn’t admit it, she herself was a at least a bit curious to see how Lady Rhea lives all the way up here. She would never in a million years do something as intrusive as go through the archbishop’s belongings. Although… being there to witness someone else do it was just as exciting, she felt. “Not as lavish as I thought it’d be.” Hilda said to herself before plopping down in the chair beside the tea table. She seemed bored.

After a few moments of silence, she heard Hilda take a deep breath, “Maybe…you should try? Try to find just one person, and no one will be mad or disappointed.” Hilda said softly. “But wait, what if you do try…just to mess it all up? Claude would just brush it off as no big deal as usual, but everyone else…you don’t know if they’d…” Hilda stopped, as if thinking to herself for a moment.

Bernadetta wanted to reach out and tell Hilda it was going to be ok. Was she afraid of everyone being mad if she messed up? Bernie knew a thing or two about making people mad, and she for sure understood the fear of doing it again. Who knew they had something like this in common? Oh Hilda…wait. Oh Goddess, Bernadetta realized, if Hilda found her now, she’d no doubt be VERY mad that she was here listening to her talking the whole time.

A strange sound seemed to interrupt both their thoughts. A steady flapping noise. The flapping of a wyvern was distant, getting ever so closer. Hilda’s head perked up, “Seteth?” She wondered out loud.

Right, Bernadetta thought, Seteth is the only one riding a wyvern tonight, patrolling and monitoring the game. Hilda after a second of realization, jerked from the chair in horror. Bernadetta peaked from under the bedframe to realize that Hilda had left the bedroom door wide open. It was in clear view of the open balcony. The sound of the wyvern was right outside, and Hilda ran to the small bathroom door and quickly shut it behind her.

“We’re both not supposed to be in here,” Bernadetta thought to herself, terrified, “he’s going to kill us both! But not before Hilda kills me first for listening to her very private conversation with herself!” She shut her eyes and prayed to the Goddess that her death would at least be quick.

Seteth’s wyvern landed on the balcony and his steps were heard quickly heading towards the archbishop’s quarters. As Seteth stood quietly in the doorway, Bernadetta felt her heartbeat so loud that she was sure that that alone would give away her position. The silence was broken by a small scuffle behind the bathroom door. Seteth quickly headed over and swung open the door. Hilda had slipped in an attempt to hide in the bathtub, and knocked the shower rod to the floor.

“Oops…” Hilda breathed, defeated.

“Hilda Valentine Goneril!” Seteth started, “I should have known. You know that no students are allowed- “

“I know, I know! Look, hear me out,” Hilda interrupted, “I thought I heard someone head up here, and I thought ‘hey, no one’s allowed up there!’, and I went to investigate like a good student would, and…” Seteth opened his mouth to speak again but Hilda was quick to continue, “I thought I heard someone hiding in Rhea’s bathroom and I went to check and I slipped, and then here you are! And unfortunately, I’m pretty sure I just hurt my ankle. I should definitely see Manuela! I’ll probably have to sit out on this one…bummer!”  
Seteth took a deep breath, rubbing his temples. “We’ll speak more on this tomorrow. Come on, now. Let’s go.”

“What, why? Where are we going?” Hilda started, as Seteth held out his hand.

“You just said your ankle hurt and you need to see Manuela. I’m helping you get there. If you feel well enough to go down three flights of stairs maybe there’s nothing to worry about-”

“Oh! Right. Thank you SO much, Seteth! You’re so helpful, you know that?” She said cheerfully, accepting his hand. As Seteth helped Hilda make her way out the room, Bernadetta couldn’t help but notice Hilda’s laughably fake limp. They were out the doorway, Seteth making sure to shut the door behind them. Bernadetta could hear the sound of them climbing atop the wyvern on the balcony.

She waited for the winged sounds of the creature to be far away before letting out a cry of relief, and finally crawling out from beneath the bed. She stood up, dusting off her dress, and took a deep breath before thinking. “You can’t stay here Bernie. It was a good spot while it lasted.” She perked up, “But hey! One seeker is out of the game, you might have a chance at finding another place to hide for the night!” She made her way to the door, brainstorming. “Maybe inside the stables…it wont smell very nice but I’m sure they wont check there…”

The bedroom door suddenly swung wide open, knocking Bernadetta to the floor. Before she had time to scream at the dark figure, it reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her quickly to her feet, “Bernadetta, don’t scream, PLEASE! It’s me, Caspar!”

“C-Caspar?” She breathed out nervously, “Oh…wait, you’re a hider, aren’t you? We cant be in here! Wait, what are you doing?”

Caspar had shut the door and quickly went to prop a chair under the doorknob. “It’s Dimitri! Ah, Prince Dimitri, I mean. Whoops. He’s on my tail and I’m buying us time.” After checking to make sure the chair was firm in place, he looked around the room. “Hm…” he turned to Bernadetta, who was still as shaken as a leaf. “Wait a minute, were you already hiding in here?” “Ah! Yes, I was! From the beginning.” She started, “Wait, no I mean, uhm…yes I was. But I’m not supposed to, and neither are you! We should leave. Now!”

“You picked Lady Rhea’s room first? That is so cool! Not even I’m that daring.” He started, ignoring her last sentiment. “I have to admit, it is a good spot. Super high up, dark, totally off limits…”

A door was heard loudly slamming on the floor beneath them, following with steps coming up the stairs.

“Oh no! No, no, no” Bernadetta squeaked out, kneeling, already on her way back to underneath the bed.

“Wait!” Caspar said in a loud whisper, reaching down to where she was kneeling, taking her hand and bringing her to her feet again. He quickly led her to the large wardrobe. He swung the door open, stepped inside, pulling her with him.

The doorknob outside the bedroom door was heard frantically jiggling just as Caspar shut the wardrobe closed.

They were shoulder to shoulder, the wardrobe just big enough for them to squeeze into, along with the hanging robes and dresses.

“Well,” Bernadetta thought to herself, “this is kind of better than under the bed.” She could stand, and her face wasn’t pressed to the floor. Although she could barely see through the crack in the wardrobe, with the fabric of many dresses blocking her view, and making it a little difficult to breathe. She quietly glanced down to notice Caspar’s hand still intertwined with hers. Did it just get hotter in here? Suddenly it got even harder to breath properly.

“Don’t worry!” Caspar whispered, snapping Bernadetta out of her thoughts, looking eye to eye at her through the darkness, assuredly. “The propped chair will make it seem like the doors locked, and he’ll leave- “

He was cut off by the sound of crushing wood and a chair being knocked violently to the floor.

Bernadetta could almost giggle at the look on Caspar’s face, currently frozen in complete shock. Too bad she was sharing a very similar expression, incredibly terrified.

They watched through the obstructed view as Prince Dimitri looked at the ruined door and broken doorknob, sighing heavily. After gently placing the chair where he presumed it was supposed to go, he looked around in the darkness, determined. “I know you’re in here, Caspar!” he said aloud. “I’m tired of chasing you. Come out, and perhaps we can share the blame on the broken door?” He opened the bathroom door, looked curiously at the shower curtains currently laying across the floor, and promptly shut it again. After no response, he continued, “Well, I suppose that wouldn’t be fair, would it? I did break the door myself. No worries, then. I will take full responsibility on any further damage to this room.”

The Prince casually walked over to the king size bed, placing both hands on one side, and swiftly lifted it up. He groaned, glancing at the emptiness. He then let the bed fall violently to the floor, letting out a loud thud that surely echoed throughout the building, making both Caspar and Bernadetta jump. Bernadetta let out a yelp, grabbing Dimitri’s attention. She immediately put her hands over her mouth, shaking, full of instant regret.

Dimitri made his way to the wardrobe. Caspar looked to Bernadetta, hands over her mouth, squished into the corner of the wardrobe, eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable. He glanced back at the crack between the wardrobe doors. He took a deep breath and grabbed one of the many robes in his view.

“HiiiyyyAAAAAHH!!!” Caspar roared at the top of his lungs as he kicked open the wardrobe door with all his might, hitting Dimitri square in the face and knocking him to the floor. Just before

Dimitri could open his eyes back towards the wardrobe, Caspar threw the large robe to his face, obstructing his view. He jumped over the Prince and ran towards the doorway. “Sorry, your highness!” He yelled, as Dimitri ripped the robe from his face and looked towards the exit, where Caspar stood, taunting him. “Catch me if you can!!” he bolted out of view. Dimitri quickly rose to his feet and followed, cursing to himself.

Bernadetta, still processing what had just happened, watched as Prince Dimitri ran out of sight, completely unaware she was also in the room. “He created a diversion, and risked getting caught… to save me?” She realized. “That’s so sweet.” She took a deep breath, she was alone again. She perked up, ready to finally leave this room. “I won’t let Caspar’s sacrifice go to waste!” She told herself. He bought me time, she thought, I’ll find a good hiding space and win! She ran out the room and started towards the staircase.

“There’s the library, that’s closest. There’s the dorms, the greenhouse, maybe I can even camouflage in the…”  
Her running slowed to a stop as she reached the bottom of the stairs and rounded the corner. Bernadetta’s eyes locked with a mysterious figure standing at the end of the hallway. It took one second to realize who she was looking at, and she quietly turned around and ran away at full speed, trying desperately not to faint immediately. The dark figure was quick to follow.

“Bernadetta!” Hubert called out laughing, “You lasted longer than I initially thought!” Bernadetta picked up speed, her mind darting in every direction, thinking of where to go quickly and buy herself some time.

“Seems we’re in another chase, you and I!” Hubert continued, “But you’ll see Bernadetta, eventually the predator will outrun the prey!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for waiting! :)


	3. Library Blast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernie is making her way to the library. It's not quiet for long, and she finds something more than just books lazing around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo I took some liberties and wrote this room to be bigger than it is in-game. Think of it as a average college-level size library. (b^_^)b

Bernadetta ran into the library and shut the door behind her. She placed her hands on a table and scooted it towards the door. She then took a chair and placed it on top, with a few heavier books to finish off her make-shift barricade. “That should by me some time…” she thought to herself. She hopped as well that Hubert was checking the doors leading up to the library.

She glanced around. She had been to the library a handful of times, only to check out books about carnivorous plants and run back to her room to read in peace. It was huge, lined with shelves and tables. It had a staircase leading to the upper level and was only illuminated by the moonlight shining through the higher windows. It looked much scarier at night and without the lanterns lighting up the room. She looked through the skylight. The moon was straight up and shining bright. _It won’t be too much longer until the night died_ , she assured herself.  
She stopped in her tracks when she heard…a snore? Even more weird, a familiar one. She walked to where it was coming from. A large chest not too far from the entrance. She braced herself and opened it, to see a familiar sleeping form in the fetal position crammed inside.

“Linhardt?!” she exclaimed a little too loud. He awoke to the sound of her shock.

“Oh…is it sunrise yet?” he asked, turning his head towards her, half asleep.

“Oh! Uh, no.” she started, looking down into the chest at her sleepy classmate. “Hey…d-do you happen to know anywhere else to hide in here?”  
He stared eye to eye with her for a few seconds, either thinking or still trying to wake up. “Where to hide?... Hm…I don’t know.” He finally replied, to her disappointment. “But can you keep it down? If someone hears, they might find me, and I’ll have to…(yawn)…participate.” He laid his head back down, intent on finishing his nap.  
“Linhardt!!” Bernadetta half whispered- half cried in desperation, but to no avail. She slammed the chest lid back down in frustration. “Think Bernie, think…” she whispered. She made her way to the staircase. “Maybe up there,” she whispered, “oh…but if he goes up there, I’ll be trapped. Aw, I…I don’t know! And he’ll be here any second!”

A bang was heard at the library door. Another. The barricade was working! For now. Bernadetta let out a “Eep!” as she ducked under one of the tables, hoping the chairs were enough to shield her. She held onto her knees; eyes locked to the distant door. She heard Hubert’s muffled yell through the wood “Bernadetta!” One kick to the door. “Open the door or we’ll have to do things more drastically!” Silence. “Alright then” he said too calmly, taking a deep breath. Bernadetta looked to see Linhardt carefully peek at the door from within the chest. He quickly concealed himself again at the clear sound of a magic spell being charged from behind the door.

Bernadetta had hardly any time to react, closing her eyes and placing her hands to her ears, as a loud boom blew open the door, sending pieces of her barricade flying in different directions. The blast sent a table hurdling towards the chest protecting Linhardt, knocking it over violently, sending the man tumbling out to the hardwood floor.

“Ouch.” Was all he could get out, as he rolled to his back, looking up at Hubert standing over him. Near the entirety of his tall form was shrouded by dim light and smoke from the blast, save for his single gold gleaming eye, shining through the darkness. “Hello. Guess you’ve found me.”, he finished nonchalantly.  
Hubert reached down and grabbed him by the hem of his shirt, forcing him to his feet. “Help me search for Bernadetta. She’s in here somewhere. You stay near the door incase she runs. I’ll start with looking towards the back.”

“Fine…” Linhardt sighed, already bored of being a seeker.

Bernadetta looked in horror at Hubert making his way towards her position. This table wouldn’t shield her much longer! She watched as he occasionally stopped to scan the room, checked behind large curtains, and moved chairs around. She looked towards the staircase a few steps away. If he wasn’t looking this way, she could quietly make it there. Linhardt audibly sighed from across the room, clearly annoyed. “Hubert, you took out a few books here with that blast. Did you honestly have to blow the door down?” Hubert turned his back from Bernadetta’s hiding spot, starting his rebuttal. Bernadetta built up her strength, held her breath, and crawled from under the table and to the bottom of the staircase. She looked to Hubert, who after stating books were not his priority to a very irritated Linhardt, continued to check underneath tables and glancing inside other large chests. As lightly as she could on all fours, she slowly made her way up the steps. She was halfway up when she looked towards Linhardt. Her heart stopped as she realized he was looking right at her! They locked eyes, Linhardt looked as if he was trying to suppress a laugh, and he gave a subtle wave. She was still, unsure on how to feel, and her foot slipped.

Hubert snapped his head towards the staircase to see Bernadetta hallway up, frozen, looking down at him. He barely took a step forward when she darted the rest of the way up, quickly leaving his line of sight. He ran up after her, about to laugh once again until a smack hit his face from above. She had grabbed books lying on the staircase to use as last-minute projectiles. “Leave! Bernie! Alone!” She cried frantically, walking up backwards, throwing the books as fast as she could as he made his way towards her. She was at the top of the stairs, legs shaking with a stack of large books in her hand. They clearly had an effect to her surprise, as he slowed down, shielding his face. “You don’t have to catch me! P-please, go away, Hubert! Find s-someone else to scare!”

Linhardt begrudgingly made his way to the stairs, “Can you two please calm down? You’re destroying this place.”

Ignoring him, Hubert stood tall, a light shining from his gloved hands. “Lady Edelgard had a plan for the two of us to locate and capture the most players.” He raised his hands, and Bernadetta raised another book. “And I won’t disappoint!” he yelled. Bernie closed her eyes as a spell shot at her, prepared to die instantly…only to feel no pain. She opened her eyes, she didn’t die! She felt like a weight had been lifted. Wait. Her books! He knocked the books out of her hands! He took advantage of her confusion and sprinted up the stairs.

She snapped out of it, the crest of Indech shining in front of her, and as fast as lighting, she took hold of a large bookshelf to her side and with a determined yell, knocked it down, blocking Hubert’s path. The sound rocked the library, Linhardt letting out a highly frustrated cry, while Hubert lost his balance, clutching the railing for support. He looked at her in disbelief, catching his breath. The girl who was always too terrified to even look at him, was now looking down at him, her grey eyes showing no fear, as if _he_ was now the prey, and _she_ the hunter. She blinked, just now realizing his hair had been blown back, giving her a rare glimpse of the side of his face that had always been masked by his hair. Two golden eyes now stared her down, but somehow, he seemed less scary this way. His face suddenly grew irritated and she turned on her heel and promptly ran away. “I’m sorry! I made you more angry! Please don’t kill me!”

She ran along the shelves until she was met with a window. Placing her hands at the bottom, she lifted it up, and allowed the cold wind to rush in before she looked out. It was about 5 stories above the ground below, but there was a lining of brick around the building that one could scale the wall with, if they were very careful. She thought back to the many times she snuck out of her home in the past. It had went undetected by her father for years, until that one dreadful night, when he found out about that kind commoner boy. She hadn’t attempted to sneak out again after that. She shook the memory out of her head. _You can do this, Bernie_ , she thought to herself. _You’re scared of so many things….but luckily, heights is not one of them!_ She slid one leg out and then the other, prepared to drop herself down to the brick lining when a familiar voice spoke up behind her.

“Bernadetta…come down from there” Hubert advised calmly, taking slow steps toward the window, “If you fall from there, you’ll surely meet your demise.”

She took one look at him, his hand reaching out as if to take hers and pull her back to safety. His face wasn’t annoyed or stretched into a sinister smile, but displaying one of rare genuine concern. She was near tempted to take his hand at that moment, but she took one more glance to the night sky, and then to the view of Garreg Mach. She noticed fellow students on the ground level, running around, all determined to find more hiders. She had made it this far, she wanted to win. Taking a deep breath, she raised herself off the windowsill and to the brick just below, and wasted no time starting to scale the wall.

“Bernadetta!” Hubert shouted, as he ran to the window, grabbing at nothing. He looked below for her, and to the right to see her a few feet away, hugging the wall. He took a deep breath, and tried to shield his obvious relief that she hadn’t fallen to her death. “Honestly, Bernadetta, where do you think you are going to go? One slip and you’ll most certainly die.” She said nothing, focusing on her hand and foot placement to gain more distance from the window. Hubert, frustrated, swung one leg out, intending to follow her. _Wait, does he know how to do this?_ “Hubert, no!” she started, to realize he had stopped once over half his frame was leaning out the window. He was frozen. His eyes were glued to the ground below, and he held the window frame in a vice grip. He was visibly shaking.

“H-Hubert? Are…are you okay?” She stopped sliding along the wall to focus on him. She couldn’t believe she was about to say this. “Hubert! Look at me. Look at Bernie!” He looked back up at her, the wind blowing his hair back to reveal a completely petrified face. _What had everyone told her to do when she was scared and needed to calm down? I didn’t know Hubert could be scared, too._

“Keep looking at me! Y-you need to take a deep breath, a-and go back inside.” She said quietly.

“I…I c-can’t…” he stuttered, unable to get it all out. He began to look lightheaded, like he was about to vomit, or worse, faint! She began to slide back over to him before the worst could happen, starting to shake at the thought of her classmate falling to his death. Sure, he was her scariest classmate, but the only thought running through her mind was _don’t fall, don’t fall, please don’t fall Hubie!_

His hand finally slipped and before she could let out a scream, the sound of running steps got close, and Linhardt appeared behind Hubert, his arm outstretched. He snatched him by the collar and yanked his body back inside, almost throwing him down to the hardwood floor. She almost sobbed in relief. _How could I come out here like this? Of course he was going to try following you, stupid Bernie! And look what you did, he almost died!_

Linhardt poked his head out from the window and looked to Bernie. She was still gripping the wall, her forehead resting against the brick, a tear already escaping her eyes. “He’s ok.”, Linhardt assured her with a small smile. “Good luck on winning the game.” He finished, before retreating inside and shutting the window.

She took one hand off the wall to wipe away the tear. “He’s ok, Bernie.” She told herself, “You have to keep going!” She took a deep breath, calming herself, before continuing to scale the wall. It felt like forever until she was finally on the opposite side of the building. The window to the cardinal’s room was right below her. She looked to the clock tower in the distance. 3AM. She was halfway through this hellish game.

She dropped down to the window, grabbing the windowsill and hoisted herself up to the glass. It thankfully wasn’t locked and she let herself into the long dark room. The room was expansive, and home to only a table and several chairs.

It was dark, and the windows along the walls allowed her to see who was coming in and out of the building through the front entrance down below. She jumped back at a scuffle under the table and a mysterious figure appearing from underneath. Of course she wasn’t the first one in here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hubert can't learn the spell "Wind" in-game, but that doesn't matter. I'd like to think Hubert wouldn't strike a stack of books with the spell "DEATH" unless of course, absolutely necessary. ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ


End file.
